The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-27
4 FLORIDA "MCLE KILLER"

To any one Interested Ill ento-
mology the following account OF
the mule Killer as told by Dan
iel C. Beard, in the Scientific
American, will prove instructive:
None Of the spiders possesses
real antennae. In the scorpions
the antennae appear in the form Of
pincers in the spider they are
transformed into horrid, poisonous,
jaw-like organs, instead Of the
harmless feelers seen on the heads
of lobster, beetles, moths, and but
terfies.
The antennae Of the whip scor-
pion, like the spiders, are changed
to venomous fangs or chelicerae,
which, in this case, take the form
of large prehensible claws, and re-
mind one Of crab or scorpion.
The most remarkable part Of the
anatomy of the whip scorpion,
however, is the structure of the an
terror pair OF legs, which are much
thinner than the other three pairs.
The fore feet are formed Of great
number Of Joints, SO that the front
limbs are converted into flexible
organs Of touch. Here we see a
creature whose antennae are
changed into poisonous jaw-hke
claws, and the fore legs transformed
to antennae or feelers.
The name whip scorpion comes
from The peculiar caudal appendage
resembling a whip lash, which can
be moved about at the will of the
owner. The abdomen is distinctly
ringed, after the manner Of a scor-
pion.
The animal is nocturnal in its
habits, hiding under chips, ETC., but
is very active and pugnacious.
When kept in captivity, it will
greedily devour horse flies and
small bugs.
Amid the tangled underwood in
the dark damp, recesses Of the
Florida forests, along with many
other curious, horrid, or beautiful
creatures beneath the mouldy leaf
or bit of bark, the mule killer turks
during the day, awaiting with the
owls the grateful twilight, when it
can wander forth in search of crick-
cts, flies, bugs, and other defense
less insects, which it seizes and
greedily devours. It sometimes
happens that a planter riding
through the wood disturbs the
"mule killer,'' and sadly rues the
day he did SO.
According to the following
stories, this little animal is we'll
equipped for the battle Of life:
Some road makers had occasion
to 60 into camp at night, and hard
ly had they comfortably rolled
themselves in their blankets before
one of them gave scream Of pain.
His companions quickly came to his
assistance. A light was speedily
procured, when a large whip scor-
pion was discovered in the poor
fellows blanket. Although this
incident happened some years ago,
the sufferer has never fully recov-
cred from the effects of the poison,
and it is said that he is still a
helpless invalid. The illustration
accompanying this article was made
from this Identical whip scorpion,
now quite harmless, owing to its
long sojourn in a bottle of spirits.
Another party Of road builders
were at work during spell Of cold
weather on the Anclote. One Of
the party, returning to camp after
hard ride, picked up blanket
and buckled it around his sweating
cold, but the poor mule caught
something worse in the blanket,
mule. to prevent the animal taking
and commenced to kick, rear, and
plunge, finally rolling upon the
ground in agony. As quickly as
possible the blanket was removed,
disclosing a brown object, about
q inches long, hanging by pair
of prehensile claws to the mules
back-it was a mule killer, and the
mule was dead within an hour.
Near the same place, under very
similar circumstances, a horse was
lost.
4 gentleman well known along
the Florida coast as a'cattle buyer,
while riding young mare through
the flat woods" had occasion to
cross a swampy bit Of ground,
known in local parlance as a ''pal-
metto bog head.'' He had not
proceeded far before his mare be-
gan to kick frantically. Fearing
that she had. been bitten by a
cnnl.n Tho ridnr hnctilr. licnnnllnted